NBA Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls Don’t Need Derrick Rose Right Now

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls, NBA

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls were able to hold off the New York Knicks on Thursday night, winning 103-97 despite being without guard Derrick Rose (illness) and forward Taj Gibson (ankle). They have won four of their last five games, and with a 16-9 record they are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Rose missed some time earlier this season with ankle and hamstring issues, and he has now missed nine of Chicago’s 25 games. The Bulls play again Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, and news surfaced immediately after Thursday night’s game that Rose was not traveling with the team.

Rose will now miss his 10th game of the season on Friday night, and it’s worth wondering if the Bulls would be better without him at this point. Of course the team has had to do without the former Rookie of the Year and league MVP for most of the two seasons prior to this one, as he missed all but 10 total games due to two separate knee injuries. Going forward, I think the Bulls can continue to win a lot of games without Rose in a prominent role.

Rose made news earlier in the season by suggesting he would sit out games in order to preserve his long-term health, and by connection his quality of life after basketball. While that’s understandable to some degree, particularly with the litany of injuries he has dealt with, it also paints Rose in a bad light that he may never be able to shake over the rest of his career. To say nothing of giving everyone a window into his mindset for this season, and possibly his overall dedication to helping the Bulls win a NBA title, which I’m sure didn’t sit well with veterans like Pau Gasol and Kirk Hinrich.

Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau expressed frustration with having to answer questions about Rose’s health back in November, and with him missing at least two games due to an unknown illness, those questions are sure to resurface. Thibodeau has been hesitant to be openly critical of Rose, suggesting merely that he’s “got to go” in reference to his being available to play, but I think it’s time for that to change. Something is clearly not clicking with Rose, and while his overall mentality may not ever change, being called out specifically would be a refreshing message for Thibodeau to send for this season and beyond.

Chicago has solid depth at point guard, with Aaron Brooks (10.6 points, 3.1 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game; 44.7 percent from three-point range) and Hinrich (7.9 points, 3.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game; 39.2 percent from three-point range) both capable of filling in for Rose. Shooting guard Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 35 points against the Knicks on Thursday night, and he has helped fill any scoring void left by Rose’s absence by averaging 21.5 points per game so far this season.

Rose has two more years left on his contract after this season, with salaries totaling over $41 million, so trading him is certainly not a realistic option for Bulls’ general manager Gar Forman. Theoretically though, multiple teams may have interest in Rose if he were made available.

There’s no replacing someone of Rose’s talent level when he is healthy, and even with some inconsistency thus far, he is still averaging 16.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game this season. But in terms of consistently being available for games he is not up to par, and leaving aside the significant knee injuries he suffered in the fairly recent past, it’s worth wondering if someone with a different mentality would play through some of the issues Rose has dealt with this year.

It’s commonly said that a team’s best player should also be the hardest worker, in order to set a tone for everyone else. From the outside looking in, Rose may be the former for the Bulls, with an argument to be made for Butler or center Joakim Noah, but he doesn’t seem to be the latter in terms of embracing the grind and being willing to play at less than 100 percent health.

Having Rose healthy for the playoffs should be a top priority for both him and the team right now, and with that in mind, a few missed games during the regular season is not a big deal by itself. But missing time is becoming a troubling trend for Rose, and his public comments about looking toward the future won’t do him any favors in the court of public opinion.

Prior to sitting out on Thursday night, it was considered news that Rose had played 11 games in a row. A closer look shows he played less than 30 minutes in seven of those contests, and more than 32 minutes just once, which has to have been a factor in such a prolonged (by his standards) run of good health.

It’s clear to me the Bulls can do without Rose right now, and they are still likely to win 50 or more games during the regular season on their way to a top-four playoff seed in the mediocre Eastern Conference. At this point, any notable and consistent contribution Rose offers should not be counted on, even come playoff time, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Forman make a trade to add some scoring punch as February’s trade deadline nears.

A trade for a notable veteran would help protect the Bulls from an extended absence by Rose, while also potentially pushing him into a complimentary role. That is obviously not an ideal scenario for anyone involved, especially given the money Rose is due to make beyond this season, but the Bulls are left to embrace the possibility that Rose will never be a star again and they’ll need to start moving forward soon.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.

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